In the sport of downrigger fishing, a steel "downrigger" line is carried to depths of fifty or more feet by a "cannon ball" weight of about ten pounds attached to the end of the downrigger line. A "downrigger release" releasably connects a separate fishing line to the downrigger line at a point near the ends of both lines. The weight therefore also carries the fishing line, together with any lures, bait or hooks attached thereto, to the depths aforesaid. If a fish is hooked, the downrigger release disconnects, freeing the fishing line from the downrigger line, so that the fish may be reeled to the surface in conventional fashion, leaving the downrigger line and weight in the water for separate retrieval.
Conventional downrigger releases incorporate a metal clothes pin-like clip which is releasably clipped to the downrigger line, a short distance above the weight. A tapered plastic or Nylon.TM. socket is attached to the clip. One end of a mating, tapered plastic or Nylon plug is releasably insertable into the socket. The opposite end of the plug is attached to the fishing line. If a fish is hooked, its struggles pull the plug out of the socket, thereby freeing the fishing line from the downrigger line so that the fish may be reeled to the surface in conventional fashion.
The downrigger release aforesaid suffers a number of disadvantages. For example, it is difficult to adjust the force with which the plug is inserted into the socket, particularly after repeated mating of the plug and socket. If the plug is inserted too tightly into the socket, then a hooked fish may not be able to pull the plug out of the socket, making it extremely difficult to land the fish, since the weighted downrigger line will then have to be retrieved together with the fishing line and the fish. If the plug is inserted too loosely into the socket, then the plug may pull free of the socket in the absence of a fish, necessitating time consuming retrieval of both lines, reinsertion of the plug into the socket, and redeployment of the lines into the water.
The conventional plug and socket downrigger release is also subject to breakage if the plastic parts are stepped upon, as can easily happen during normal fishing conditions. The metal clip and plug/socket combination is relatively bulky and causes considerable drag on the underwater lines.
The present invention overcomes the foregoing disadvantages.